Sailor's cap : Stoker J Robb, HMAS Sydney I

Sailor's cap with an HMAS Sydney tally ribbon tied over the blue wool cap band. The cap outer is constructed from whitened canvas and features two brass eye vent holes on each side. Internally, the cap is lined with brown cotton and a small piece of paper printed with the number '7' is stuck to the side.

History / Summary

This cap was worn by 3541 Stoker John Robb of the Royal Australian Navy. He was born in Ultimo, Sydney in December 1895 and aged 18, joined the Navy on 31 December 1913 as a Stoker, 2nd Class. He joined the crew of HMAS Sydney in February 1914 and was promoted to Stoker in October. While serving in the Sydney during the First World War Robb took part in the capture of German New Guinea in September 1914 and in the successful engagement with the German raider SMS Emden off the Cocos Keeling Islands in November 1914. In January 1918 he joined the crew of HMAS Encounter and, at his request, was discharged from the RAN on 9 June 1919 with the rank of Acting Leading Stoker.